Theodobe eugene schiefjster



(No Model.)

T. E. SGHIBFNER.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUSLFOR DISSOLVING AND REMOVING THE GUM FROM NETTLE AND OTHER PLANT PIBBRS.

N0. 353,468. 9* Patented NOV. 30, 1886.

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l nl L v4 o X m wg E E q I' v m zz/e'rzar/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THODORE EUGNE SCHIEFNER, OF ESSONNES, SElNE-ET-OISE, FRANCE.

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR DISSOLVING AND REMOVING THE GUM FROM PLANT FIBERS.

NETTLE AND OTHER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NG. 353,468, dated November 30, 1886.

Application liled February 20, 1886. Serial No. 192,618. (No model.) Patented in France December l2. 1885, No. 172,882.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that 1, THEonoRE EUGENE SOHIEFNER, director of a spnnery at Essonnes, Department of Seine-etAOise, France, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in dissolving and removing the gum from nettles (china-grass) and from other plant-bers used in the textile industry in order to make these bers t for bleaching and ne spinning; (for which I have obtained Letters Patent of France, for fteen years, dated December 12, 1885, No. 172,882;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andY exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an apparatus and a process for dissolving and removing the gum from the nettles and from other plant-fibers used in the textile industry, in order to make these bers t for bleaching and tine spinning, and has for its object to obviate altogether the numerous inconveniences of the apparatus and methods employed hitherto for this purpose.

The nettle known under the name of chinagrass, (ramie,) when freed from its ligneous elements, contains not only much gum and dust particles, but is generally not sufficiently decomposed to be advantageously carded and spun, This nettle, freed from its ligneous elements, wants further wholly the requisite luster and softness as well as the bleaching, which latter operation with the nettle is effected most advantageouslybefore being spun. All means hitherto employed for that purpose have proved to be tiresome and expensive. They require too much manipulation and hand work, washings, and repackings, whereby the bers are entagled and felted, undergoing thus quantitative and qualitative losses; and, moreover, they are treated unproportionately-that is, they are unequally acted upon by the solution, so that there is a more or less insufficient decomposition of the bers, and consequently a material of less value. By the new or improved process and apparatus all the said inconveniences areobviated. Thebersaretreated withaproportionate action ofthe vapors and solutions, and all entanglement and felting of the bers,

as well as the repacking of this material, are avoided by leaving the same during the whole operation in the same undisturbed position. This apparatus, moreover, permits a rapid action, at a high temperature, of the vapors and solutions, which is absolutely necessary for the treatment of this material, (china-grass, or ramie,) whereby it is made possible to perform all necessary chemical operations in about six to eight hours, with an absolute assurance of an equal action and a good result, and without removing the material from its place. Vith the apparatuses and methods hitherto used, the working and nishing of ve hundred kilograms of bers would require ve workmen during one day. By the new system only one workman would be required for the same quantity of material and for the same time.

It may further be observed that by the continual circulation of the chemical substances which are used in this process, and are returned again and again, any loss of the same is avoided,

as well as the inconvenience of a disproportioned division of the bers; also the material of the bers is protected against felting and loss, the material being lodged loosely and in convenient proportions, and remaining undisturbed on its place during the whole chemical treatment.

On the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the whole apparatus; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the apparatus B; Fig. 3, a transverse section on X X of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, aview of the carriage for receiving the bers; Fig. 5, a front view of the door. I

The apparatus in its entirety consists of a reservoir, A, Fig. 1, for producing the vapors and appropriate solutions, a reservoir or apparatus, B, Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, serving for the action of the vapors and solutions upon the bers, and a particularly-constructed carriage C, Fig. 4, running on rails, which carriage serves to receive and to hold the bers, and to be inclosed with them in the apparatus B during the whole chemical treatment, Figs. 2 and 3. The reservoir A, made of wrought` iron, and, preferably, roundshaped, is provided with a steam-tight man-hole, a steamgage, a steam-conduit, g, outlet-cock y, and

an upper Water-conduit, h, and, further, with a circulation-pipe, z', and a connection-socket, 7c, provided with cock 7c. The interiorY surfaces of reservoir A are strongly galvanized, and the whole reservoir A is tested under a steam pressure of five atmospheres. The whole reservoir A reposes on a base of stone, z.

The apparatus B is an oval horizontal reservoir made of strong wrought-iron and tested under a steam-pressure of live atmospheres. Its interior surfaces are also galvanized. In this apparatus B are disposed, in connection with the connection-pipe 7c, a range of copper pipes, L, placed at adistance of about ten centimeters from the Walls of the reservoir, each pipe being 1,400n long and of a diameter of 50mm, all pipe ends joining together, Figs. 1, 2, 3. The end pipe runs into the Water-collecting trough b, and is connected with the circulation-pipei, which,by means of the pressure in B, brings again up to thercservoir A the vapors or solutions. The copper pipes L in the apparatus B are provided on that side which is turned exactly toward the center of the apparatus B with holes of about 1.5mm diameter, these holes being placed so near to each other that a single pipe is provided with about three hundred and fifty of such holes. Through all these holes the vapors and solutions are conducted exactly to the center of the apparatus B.

The apparatus B is provided with a door, m, which is suspended on the hinges or pivots n. The space at the edge of the door is packed with india-rubber, and by means of the bars p, inserted into the clamps g, which are forged to the apparatus, the door may be solidly and tightly closed. In order to press the bars close to the door, and this latter iirmly into the india-rubber packing, screws r are tapped through the clamps and bear atthe ends against the bars. Inside the tank B are rails S', and outside there are rails S in line therewith. To allow the carriage C to run from one to the other, a shortlength, Si, of movable track is interposed.

On top the apparatus B is provided with a steam-gage, t, a safety-valve, u, and an outletcock, c, and at the bottom of the apparatus with the outlet-cock w.

, The carriage C, serving for the reception of the fibers, runs upon four wheels, and is provided with six movable compartments or hurdles, d, made of galvanized iron-wire work. These compartments or hurdles are filled with brous material, then inserted into the carriage and retained in place therein by the supports d d, Figs. 2, 3, 4. The opening of the carriage is effected at the side, as its form is an oval one, Fig. 3. This lateral opening by the side wall, which is movable around hinge di, permits a readyinsertion of the compartments or hurdles d, and facilitates the filling of the same with bers. The carriage being filled, it is pushed into the apparatus, the movable piece of rail S'Z is taken away, and the door stesse closed. Now commences the chemical treatment and the working of the apparatus, as hereinafter described. The vapors and solutions are formed in the reservoir .A after closing the cocks k and y.

The preparation of the solutions and liquids is effected in acement reservoir, and by means of a pump they are conducted through the pipe h into the reservoir A. Then steam is let in by pipe g, after opening the cock g', and then the vapors and solutions are conveniently produced in reservoirA. Thereupon cock 7c is opened, the vapors and solutions enter by communication socket k into the pipes L, and by the central range of holes they are delivered upon the fibers. The latter then are worked and penetrated by the vapors and solutions, which finally run down to the water-collecting trough b. If the chemical agents are solutions or vapors, they go by virtue of the pressure existing in the reservoir B out of the trough b', and passing through the circulation-pipe t' they arrive back into the reservoir A, and then may recommence their circulation. The fibers are thus worked during two to three hours under a pressure up to three to four atmospheres. Then, according to necessity or convenience, the substance of the solutions or vapors may be modified by letting out through cocks y and w those that are wasted or being restored by additions of other substances, they are in combination with the same used again.

I claim- 1. The continuous process of dissolving and removing the gum from the nettle or chinagrass and other plant bers, in order to divide the fibers to give them a silky appearance and to t them for bleaching and line spinning, the said process consisting in conducting the appropriate chemical agentssuch as solutions and vapors, separate or mixedtrema reservoir into an apparatus containing the plant iibers,and there causing them to act upon said fibers, and then returning said agents to the reservoir for a new circulation, the strength of the solutions or vapors being restored or their composition modified from time to time as occasion may require, and the plant bers remaining undisturbed in the apparatus, so that entanglement and felting of the fibers and the sources of lossin general are avoided, substantially as described.

2. The apparatus for treating nettle or chinagrass and other plant fibers to dissolve and remove the gum, as specified, the said apparatus consisting of the reservoir for the chemical agents, the apparatus for containing the iibers, the carriage provided with perforated or wire network hurdles or compartments for supporting the fibers, and they pipes for conducting theragents from the reservoir into the apparatus and delivering the same upon thebers therein, and for then returning the same into the reservoir for a Ynew circulation, substantially as described.

3.V The reservoir provided with steam-pipe IIO and Waterpipe, in 'Combination with the approvided with perforated hurdles or compartparatus for containing the material to be treatments for supporting the fibers in the said aped, provided with pipes at top and bottom, reparatus, substantially as described.

Speetively, the perforated serpentine pipes in THODORE EUGNE SCIIIEFNER. said apparatus, the pipes for conducting the Witnesses:

chemical agents from the reservoir and re- ROBT. M. HooPER,

turning them into the same, and the carriage ALPHONSE BLTRY. 

